The New Professor
by techviper
Summary: The one after Umbridge. don't read it. *grins* (PG just for the heck of it.)
1. WHAT! HE'S A SHE?

Xentris Omega  
  
Dumbledore's eyes crinkled into a smile as he announced the usual beginning- of-term gibberish.  
  
"Mr. Filch would like to remind me, for the sixth-hundredth-and seventy-third time, that magic is not allowed in the corridors, neither are Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs-they caused enough trouble last year, he mentioned, Doofusse's Fake Dung, and a list of other items that can be found entirely covering his office door. In more cheerful matters, we would like to welcome Professor Xentris Omega, who will be taking the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts this year." A cautious stream of applause rose from the students as a thin young man with short hair, save for a braid, nodded curtly. He wore a black leather robe with a silver dragon emblazoned on the back, which made him look more like a mercenary than a teacher. The tinted spectacles didn't help.  
  
"Professor Omega will be taking over Professor Umbridge, who most unfortunately( some people rolled their eyes at this) had to leave us last year, due to an urgent call from the Ministry. Xentris has come all the way from South-East Asia to teach. Most of you will remember her-"  
  
"Did you say HER?" Ron exclaimed in shock. The young "man" grinned.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes, Mr. Weasley. I suggest you treat her with all due respect, however." Ron looked rather dreamy as he stared up at the staff table. Dumbledore cleared his throat and carried on. "Quidditch tryouts will take place..."  
  
Ron continued to stare. 


	2. Surrunjation

"Heard what Omega's like?" Harry asked Hermione as they walked towards the Transfiguration classroom.  
  
"No, but I heard from the seventh-years that she's from Gryffindor. And I saw her yelling at the Slytherins from Trelawney's classroom. She seems pretty decent."  
  
Harry turned to Ron to ask him, but Ron had gone all dreamy at the mention of Omega's name. He seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a wall right in front of him.  
  
"Whadda?" he asked, snapping out of his stupor with an inch to spare. Harry and Hermione could hardly suppress their laughter throughout the lesson.  
  
Two hours later, they filed into the classroom as Omega glared silently at the blackboard. The spectacles were gone, but she looked just as formidable.  
  
She spun around, her face lit up with an amused smile.  
  
"You're probably wondering what the deal is with all the frowning."  
  
Some students nodded slightly, others just looked puzzled.  
  
"You'll be studying a range of topics for your NEWTs this year," she continued. "Starting with Surrunjation. Surrunjation is one of the most advanced topics in the NEWT syllabus, but if you get the basics, it's an O in the bag. We can't exactly bewitch flying pebbles in here, so it's downstairs. Now."  
  
The class filed out, some looking very relieved that this year's Defence classes would finally be interesting.  
  
"Now, does anyone know what Surrunjation actually is?"  
  
As usual, Hermione was bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet, trying to answer.  
  
"Yes, Miss..."  
  
"Granger, Professor. Surrunjation is the bewitching of surrounding objects to one's aid." Harry found himself recalling the time Dumbledore had caused statues to spring alive last summer.  
  
"Wonderful. Take ten points to Gryffindor. Surrunjation is quite like Charms, but in a much stronger form. Let's begin with the incantation. Surrenjero!"  
  
"Surrenjero!" the class repeated. In fact, Ron was so enthusiastic that the sand around him was shifted.  
  
"Excellent, Mr. Weasley. Take another ten." Omega beamed at Ron, whose cheeks went pink under the freckles.  
  
"Did you hear that? She knows my name! Harry! HARRY!"  
  
Harry was too caught up in his sniggers to hear.  
  
"Brilliant work, all of you. Proceed on to the wandwork, shall we? It's a simple flicking movement, and done with the incantation, and a lot of practice, you should be able to execute it without much difficulty. Wands out, everyone."  
  
There was a flurry of movement as everyone pulled out their wands. A black rod flew out of Omega's sleeve into her hand. People stared.  
  
"Yes, it's charcoal," she said briskly. "Good hard charcoal too. Troll trampled all over it last summer and not even a splinter." She smiled at the memory. The already rather high level of interest in the class regarding this weird teacher rose by a few notches.  
  
"Now, line up in front of me in a row, and direct this pile of pebbles at me, using the charm that you have just learned." As she spoke, a pile of small stones appeared out of thin air in front of her.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, would you care to go first?"  
  
Ron's face now resembled a tomato. The class backed away as he stepped nervously in front of everyone. Coincidentally, Draco Malfoy, who was on his way back to class from Care of Magical Creatures, decided to pass unnaturally close and make a snide remark.  
  
"Oy! Weasel King! Going to make another fool of yourself as usual, eh?"  
  
Omega, who had been looking the other way, replied casually,"Five points from Slytherin for that outrageous remark, Mr. Malfoy. Any more and it'll be five hundred." Malfoy looked shocked that she had heard him in the first place. Ron was looking much happier. "Ready then, Ron?" Omega asked. He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on the pebbles, then on Omega.  
  
"SURRENJERO!" he bellowed. All at once, the pile of rocks flew into the air, and sped at Omega. She did not flinch at all as the stones hit her all over. The class gasped in astonishment, some girls even let out screams of shock. Ron looked pleased with his effort, but in absolute shock at Omega's lack of reaction.  
  
"Longyan cursed leather," she said, seeing the mystified faces. She turned around, showing them the dragon logo. "Longyan means Dragon's Eye in mandarin. Got it straight from the Orient." The class was even more in awe. "That was an amazing spell, Weasley. Take ten points." Looking more confident, the class stepped up one by one to perform the spell. Seamus Finnigan gave such a strong incantation that the water from the lake rose a bit, and Lavender Brown managed to extract a gopher from its nearby hole, along with the pebbles. However, Omega was most impressed by Ron's interest in the subject.  
  
"Very good, class. There will be no written homework today, but you are encouraged to practice the spell." The class looked very happy as they trooped back to the castle.  
  
"Continue like this and you'll make an excellent Auror, Weasley." She grinned at Harry, Ron and Hermione as she strode into the Great Hall. The happiness in Ron swelled until he was about to burst. 


	3. Merlions

Three Defence lessons of Surrunjation (water, furniture and boulders from the surrounding mountains) later, Omega seemed satisfied enough to proceed to something else. When the Gryffindors entered the classroom, they were greeted by a short note stuck to the blackboard.  
  
"Something new today. Hagrid's hut." Harry read aloud. Eyebrows raised, the class started climbing down the stairs.  
  
When they got to the hut, Hagrid, Omega and the Slytherin sixth-years were waiting. Some of them sniggered as the Gryffindors hurried to their places. Omega raised one eyebrow, then spoke.  
  
"We will have a joint lesson today," she announced. Almost all the students groaned at this. "As part of this year's syllabus, you will be required to have some knowledge of magizoology. Over two periods, we will be covering an exotic magical beast. Kindly follow." She started off to the lake, Hagrid bringing up the rear.  
  
"What's that for?" Ron asked as they made their way to the water's edge.  
  
"Probably because You-Know-Who might be training beasts for his return. Could be, what with the Dementors and all." Hermione replied thoughtfully.  
  
At the lake, Hagrid raised a gigantic horn to his lips and blew. A mourning, wailing sound came.  
  
"Good Lord, what's he trying to do, deafen us?" Malfoy groaned, coverng his ears.  
  
"Maybe just you, Malfoy," replied Hermione, whose ears weren't covered, but wincing at the noise.  
  
"Oh, little Mudblood Granger here is just too deaf to hear a big oaf blowing a horn," Malfoy said mockingly.  
  
He got a sharp push in return. With a wail just as horrible as the horn, he tumbled into the lake. Sputtering, his head bobbed up to the surface. Hagrid promptly stopped blowing as the Gryffindors' laughter rang out. His lip was curling slightly as he bent down to pull Malfoy out of the water. The rest of the Slytherins were crowding around him, when Parvati Patil screamed, "Look! The lake!"  
  
As everyone turned around, even the Slytherins, huge beasts were swimming towards them at the speed of bullets. Their lower bodies were covered in scales of golden-white, and on top of their furry white torsos were lion's heads. They roared as they swam, sending waves of water crashing over the class.  
  
"Merlions." Omega's voice rang out over the roaring and complaints of wet robes. She was completely dry, and grinned back at the appalled faces. "Desertious Charm. Anyway, back to the Merlions." One of them purred as she stroked its head, sending a small wave lapping at the students' feet. Some of them backed away nervously. "Mystical creatures. They're a symbol of the country Singapore, usually found only in Asia. These guys here arrived early this term. Their roaring creates waves, and looking at one straight in the eye will usually leave you frozen in whatever position you are in. they can be powerful allies when befriended, and well, let's just say you wouldn't want to make enemies out of 'em. That's why we're here today, so please pay proper attention."  
  
Hagrid stepped over to continue. "Now, these 'ere creatures are really kind if yeh trust 'em, so you gotta be patient with 'em. They'll try an' earn your trust, so be friendly..."  
  
Malfoy was whispering excitedly to his cronies Crabbe and Goyle as Hagrid spoke. Harry told Ron and Hermione, who both shook their heads in exasperation.  
  
"The git's been enough in trouble with the beasts already, what's he gonna do this time?" Ron was amused. "Maybe he'll get his had bitten off or something this time, Harry, that'll be good for Quidditch," he added hopefully.  
  
"So all yeh get into 'threes, and get ta' know the Merlions. They might let yeh ride, or summat like that." Hagrid finished.  
  
"C'mon, let's go see that one," Hermione pointed out a smaller Merlion, not fully grown yet. Malfoy, however, chose the biggest of the lot, and was poking its nose with the tip of his wand. The Merlion roared again, and glared at Malfoy, who was laughing.  
  
"These idiots can't even fight ba-" his body seemed to tense up, as if frozen. Crabbe and Goyle stared on, their eyes as round as plates, with absolutely no idea what to do. Omega walked over, shaking her head. "This, people," she pointed at the frozen Malfoy, "is exactly the opposite of what you want to do." The Gryffindor's laughter rang across the lake as Omega thawed Malfoy with a poke of her wand. "I told you, Malfoy, not to intimidate them. It would be appreciated if you could read the chapter in any bestiary on Merlions, and come up with a short essay for me explaining proper care for them." She walked away, leaving a very wet, very shocked Malfoy.  
  
All the pupils in the class (with the exception of the Slytherins, who were trying in vain to put expressions of horror on their faces) were enjoying themselves immensely, as the Merlions performed incredible water stunts for them, or let them ride as they skimmed silently across the water. People oohed and aahed as a Merlion launched itself into the air gracefully, did a couple of flips and plunged back in with nearly no sound. Hermione had an extraordinary time, her new animal friend did an entire acrobatic routine as she rode it. Other than looking a bit green when she got off, she looked extremely happy.  
  
"Very good, class. I'll expect no homework next lesson, but read up on Merlions, it'll help." Omega looked very satisfied behind the dark glasses.  
  
The sun was sinking down slowly as the students walked back to the castle. 


End file.
